The paramedic said the building had been hit by an airstrike carried out by Syrian government forces.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights at least 11 civilians, including seven children, died during attacks on Idlib and nearby provinces on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, government troops seized more territory around the northern city of Aleppo.

Russian war planes struck rebel-held areas north of Aleppo on Saturday as the army shelled the besieged old quarter.

Russia was reported on Friday to be sending more warplanes to Syria to ramp up its air campaign.

The latest strikes come 10 days into a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive to capture rebel-held eastern Aleppo and crush the last urban stronghold of a revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that began in 2011.

Saturday's air strikes focused on major supply lines into rebel-held areas — the Castello Road and Malah district — while fighting raged in the Suleiman al Halabi neighbourhood, the front line to the north of Aleppo's Old City.